What
is humbly dubbed 'Mushrooms on toast, grated lemon, parmesan, procini
dust' on the menu is in fact the reason I have been dreaming about my
meal at The Pot Luck Club & Gallery for the past 3 days.
Imagining slabs of toasted buttery brioche topped with sherry glazed
mushrooms and drowning in dredgings of Parmesan cheese wafting out of
the kitchen and into my mouth, is a tad extreme, even for a food nerd
like me. To put a halt to these crazy funghi fantasies, I decided to
douse the craving with my own midweek (meat-free Monday) version of
this dreamy mushrooms on toast dish. So here it is, my ode to toast;
simplicity at its best!

Photograph: The Pot Luck Club & Gallery

Posh mushrooms on toast

(serves
4)

6-8
slices ciabatta, sliced

olive
oil, for drizzling

250g
mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 glug
of old brown sherry

1 knob
garlic parsley butter

finely
grated zest of 1 lemon

salt
and pepper, to taste

crumbled
feta cheese or Parmesan and rocket, to garnish

Drizzle
the ciabatta slices with olive oil and toast until golden brown. Heat
a little oil in a pan until smoking hot and saute the mushrooms until
browned. Add the sherry and allow the alcohol to evaporate completely
before stirring in the butter, zest and seasoning. Add a spoonful of
water and stir to thicken before toppin the ciabatta toast with the
mushrooms and crumbling over the feta. Place under the grill again
until golden and bubbly. Serve with the rocket.

Saturday, July 7, 2012

I
absolutely love baking up a storm but my family can attest to the
fact that I seriously despise washing dishes. As a child I used to
put on my own cooking shows in our family kitchen with every
ingredient precisely weighed out into its own neat little bowl –
just like I'd seen Delia Smith do on her show. This used to drive my
mother mad as no matter how many times I'd swear on my spatula to
wash the mound of dishes I'd dirtied, it would never happen and my
poor mother would be left washing a million condiment bowls while
silently praying for a dishwasher. Now that I have to wash my own
dishes at the end of a baking marathon, I have a whole lot more
appreciation for the recipes that promise minimal time at the kitchen
sink. This is one of those – a chocolate chip cookie recipe made in
a cup. It is not only perfect for those times where you're craving
something to dunk into your tea, coffee or hot chocolate on chilly
evenings, but also great for keeping kids busy in the kitchen during
the school holidays. And because it's made in the microwave, there is
no danger of little fingers being burnt (and the fact that you'll be
left with only a few cups and spoons to wash is a huge bonus!).
Replace the butter with peanut butter, swop out the chocolate chips
for raisins, smarties or whatever the kids' imaginations can conjure
up! And once they've mastered the 'cookie in a cup', let them try the
'chocolate brownie in a cup' recipe below – it is delicious!

Choc chip cookies in a cup

(makes
3)

1T
butter

2T
brown sugar

few
drops vanilla essence or extract

pinch
of salt

1 egg
yolk

¼ cup
cake flour

2T
chocolate chips

Place
the butter in a mug and melt in the microwave. Add the sugar, vanilla
and salt and stir with a fork. Add the egg yolk and mix well. Stir in
the flour and chocolate chips. Lightly grease a microwave safe plate
and place 3 mounds of the cookie dough on the plate, leaving enough
space in between each. Cook in the microwave on full power for 40 –
60 seconds or until cooked. Remove from the plate with a spatula and
allow to cool completely or eat while still hot and gooey! Serve with
at tall glass of milk for dunking.

Chocolate brownie in a cup

(makes
1)

4T
cake flour

4T
brown sugar

2T
cocoa powder

2T oil
or melted butter

2T
water

pinch
of salt

few
drops vanilla extract

2T
chopped nuts or chocolate chips (optional)

Place
the flour, sugar and cocoa in a cup and mix well. Add the oil, water,
salt and vanilla and stir together with a fork until thoroughly
mixed. Place the cup in the microwave and cook on full power for
45-60 seconds until cooked through but still a bit gooey in the
middle and moist. Allow to cool slightly and serve immediately with
cream or ice cream.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Like a comforting hug, or your favourite snuggly slippers, hot toddies are perfect for warming up cold hands and feet when coming in from the cold. I've compiled my 6 favourites to suit all kinds of moods and hopefully you'll find the one for you! The chamomile honey vanilla latte is one of my favourites to cozy up to just before bedtime – chamomile is known for it's sleep inducing properties and will ensure sweet and peaceful dreams while the apple mint green tea is less indulgent – for those moments when you're watching the waistline. Hot coco is my take on hot chocolate, made with coconut milk for something a bit different. Of course, always make sure to use fat-free milk to keep the calories down. My homemade spicy chai is better than anything you'll find on a supermarket shelf; you'll have all the spices in your storecupboard already and it really tastes wonderful. The hot butterscotch is for those spoil-yourself moments and makes a great replacement for dessert when entertaining. And last but not least, the classic hot toddy, Gluhwein is a sure way to warm up body and soul and even better when sipped in front of a roaring fire. What are your favourite winter hot toddies?

Photography by Katelyn Williams

Apple
mint green tea

Break
open 2 tea bags of mint green tea and place in a saucepan with ½
sliced Granny Smith apple, pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon and bring to
a gentle simmer for 2 minutes. Set aside and allow to steep until
fragrant. Strain and sweeten with honey, to taste.

Chamomile honey vanilla latte

Brew ½ a pot of strong chamomile tea made with two tea bags. Heat 300ml of fat-free milk with a vanilla pod or few drops of vanilla extract. Divide the strong chamomile into 2 mugs and top with the vanilla milk. Drizzle honey ontop to taste

Hot
coco

Heat ½
tin reduced fat coconut milk and 1 cup of fat-free milk with 75g
good-quality dark chocolate and a cinnamon stick. Simmer gently for a
few minutes until fragrant. Alternatively, replace the chocolate with
cocoa powder and adjust the sweetness with honey. Garnish with
toasted coconut shavings or for a decadent addition, serve with
toasted coconut covered marshmallows.

Coat
the sides of 2 mugs with tinned caramel or butterscotch sauce (for a
quick and easy recipe and step-by-step video click here). Heat 2 cups
of fat-free milk with a dash of vanilla extract and pour into cups to
serve. For something a little different, serve with a sprinkling of
sea salt for a salted caramel version – salt and caramel are
perfect partners so give it a try!

Hot
chocolate is a great way to experiment – try infusing the milk with
dried chillies, basil leaves or fresh mint before adding the
chocolate. Adding liqueurs is also a decadent treat every now and
then and the wide variety of flavours mean you can get creative with
combinations.

Purchase
inexpensive spoons and dip them into dark or white chocolate a few
times (allow to set inbetween) and tie together with a pretty ribbon.
Package them with some marshmallows and you'll have a thoughtful gift
for someone special.